Colloquy of Friends and the Young Woman

13 ¹ And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads were blasphemous names.^{(A) 2} And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave it his power and his throne and great authority.^{(B) 3} One of its heads seemed to have received a death blow, but its fatal wound^[a] had been healed. In amazement the whole earth followed the beast.^{(C) 4} They worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”^(D)

⁵ The beast was given a mouth speaking arrogant and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.^{(E) 6} It opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. ⁷ Also, it was allowed to wage war on the saints and to conquer them.^[b] It was given authority over every tribe and people and language and nation,^{(F) 8} and all the inhabitants of the earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slaughtered.^[c](G)

⁹ Let anyone who has an ear listen:

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.^(H)

The Second Beast

¹¹ Then I saw another beast that rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb, and it spoke like a dragon. ¹² It exercises all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and it makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound^[d] had been healed. ¹³ It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of all,^{(I) 14} and by the signs that it is allowed to perform on behalf of the beast it deceives the inhabitants of earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that had been wounded by the sword^[e] and yet lived,^{(J) 15} and it was allowed to give breath^[f] to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast could even speak and cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. ¹⁶ Also, it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be given a brand on the right hand or the forehead,^{(K) 17} so that no one can buy or sell who does not have the brand, that is, the name of the beast or the number for its name.^{(L) 18} This calls for wisdom: let anyone with understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number for a person. Its number is six hundred sixty-six.^[g](M)

The Parable of the Rich Fool

¹³ Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?”^{(A) 15} And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”^{(B) 16} Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. ¹⁷ And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’^{(C) 20} But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’^{(D) 21} So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”^(E)

Do Not Worry

²² He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!^{(F) 25} And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life?^{[a](G) 26} If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,^[b] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.^{(H) 28} But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not keep seeking what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. ³⁰ For it is the nations^[c] of the world that seek all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.^{(I) 31} Instead, seek his^[d] kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.